Undefeated champ: Salandy's meteoric rise and tragic end

IT’S 12 years, to the day, since the late Jizelle Salandy stepped into the boxing ring for the last time.

The undefeated boxer beat Dominican Republic’s Yahaira Hernandez by a unanimous decision at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo, to go 16-0, at just 21 years old.

Salandy, from Siparia, was on the verge of stardom. With quick feet, lightning hands and the IQ to do enough to gain the judges’ approval, she had a meteoric rise and was on course for a long, illustrious career when she died in car accident on January 4, 2009.

Her promoter Boxu Potts is convinced to this day that she would have gained international acclaim with a mega-fight against Laila Ali.

The daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali was renowned as a knockout artist (24-0, 21 KOs), but had retired in 2007. Potts believes Salandy’s undefeated record and prowess would have been enough to lure Ali back in the ring.

It is a match-up now left up to the imagination.

After her mother, Maureen, died in 1998, the 11-year old was “adopted” by the late Ann “Miss Ivy” Corian, who was well respected in Siparia.

Miss Ivy was an active member of the church and during her many services and meetings there, she entrusted Salandy to the care of then national boxer Kim “Bone Crusher” Quashie. At that time, Quashie also trained young boxers at the White Eagle Gym.

The first time Salandy was dropped off at Quashie’s home, she had a broken arm from a fall from her bicycle. She was told to “sit down and don’t move,” while Quashie taught classes.

Minutes later, boxing coach Fitzroy Richards (now deceased) pointed Quashie to a corner of the gym where Salandy was pounding at a punching bag with one hand while the other was in a sling.

Both boxing instructors agreed she had a “wonderful jab” and hit the bag with “raw power.”

That day, they introduced her to some basics and gave her an opportunity to let loose on the bag.

Quashie returned to the gym with Salandy the following day and was forced to rip her off a young boy as she executed perfectly what she had been taught the day before

“I don’t know what that boy told her, but she was cuffing out he face, even though her hand was in a cast. He left bleeding while she was unscathed,” said a smiling Quashie.

The boy’s loss in his scuffle with Salandy was the unofficial start to the career that ended with her as a multiple world champion.

Richards opted to take Salandy under his wing and train her. When her cast was removed, Quashie approached Miss Ivy to ask permission for Salandy to officially begin boxing classes. The avid churchgoer was unconvinced, but the motivated young talent kept on training.

During this time, Salandy attended Penal Junior Secondary School and then Fyzabad Composite Secondary, after graduating from St Brigid’s Girls’ RC School in Siparia.

Quashie recalled, “Jizelle used to put on her older sister’s school uniform and go into her secondary school and fight for her sister. Imagine a child from outside, walking into a school to fight for her sister.

“Those are the challenges we had with her.But she was a child you had fun with.

“We built a bond that was one of the greatest things you could ever think about. But eventually, people come in the middle of everything. After all the hard work, people come and rejoice for everything. But I believe in God and He knows best.”

‘HIT SHE, JIZELLE.

BEAT SHE!’

Salandy’s first unofficial fight was held at Busy Corner Restaurant and Pub, in Siparia, in late 1999. Quashie invited Miss Ivy to the bout to see one of her “adopted” children, Joel, get in the ring. She didn’t know Salandy was about to make her competitive debut.

After a couple of bouts, Quashie told her Salandy was going to fight Guyanese Mopsie Armstrong.

“When we told her Jizelle was going to fight, she said, ‘Not my little girl. I don’t care what allyuh say. My little girl not going in no ring!’ I told her she was in the ring already, and she replied, ‘Why allyuh do me this, Kim?’

“I said, ‘Mother, she likes the sport. Let’s see what happens, but I would not bring any harm to her.’”

The White Eagles boxing coach said Armstrong was a seasoned boxer compared to the debutant.

But Quashie said, “Jizelle made magic in that ring, I don’t even think Mopsie landed one punch. Jizelle danced all around her and continuously pounded that girl.

“All of a sudden Miss Ivy got off her seat yelling, ‘Hit she, Jizelle! Beat she, beat she!’

“I said to myself, ‘This wasn’t the same woman who didn’t want Jizelle in the ring?’ Check Ivy performance nah, like if is she fighting in the ring,”

Under Richards, Salandy made her professional debut at 13, in Port of Spain, on February 25, 2000, and knocked out (KO) fellow debutante Nimba Wahtuse in the third round. A rematch with Wahtuse on April 15 produced the same result, which ended the latter’s boxing career.

On May 3, Salandy boxed to a four-round decision over future Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) mini-flyweight world champion and compatriot Ria Ramnarine at a local meet.

Five months later, on October 14, she defeated the Guyanese Ann Howard by a second-round KO. On January 19, 2001, Salandy extended her unbeaten run with a four-round points decision over fellow TT national and debutant Erica Benjamin.

Less than a month later, she travelled to the US Virgin Islands to KO another first-timer, Maria Rosario. In August, Salandy triumphed on points over Joanna Pena Alvarez in the Dominican Republic.

On November 9, 2002 in Willemstad, Curacao, Salandy had her first official title fight against Colombian Paola Rojas for the vacant WIBA Ibero-American junior welterweight title.

The 14-year old boxed to an eight-round decision and became the youngest person to win a boxing title. For her impressive showing, Salandy was made an honorary citizen of Curacao.

Victory for the teenager against Rojas carried her record to seven wins with no losses.

However, she then had to take just over two years off, since she could not be granted her professional boxing licence in Trinidad until she turned 17.

During this time, Salandy switched trainers and began working with Curtis Joseph, former boxer Joseph “‘Black Mamba” Charles and Felix “Wamba” Voisin Jones.

The young champion continued to develop her skills and was able to get her boxing licence 14 months later, in January 2014. Five days after turning 17, she successfully defended her WIBA Ibero title against a revengeful Rojas at the Central Regional Indoor Sporting Arena in Chaguanas.

But Joseph was unable to secure fights consistently for his student, which forced another stoppage in her flourishing career. She then cut ties with Joseph and was taken over by Quashie and Potts.

The pair worked with Salandy for over a year and on September 23, 2005, she returned to the ring. At the Jean Pierre Complex, she recorded her ninth official win via unanimous decision against Guyanese debutante Manela Daniels.

In June 2006, Daniels returned to Petrotrin Grounds, Fyzabad, where Salandy emerged victorious by TKO and took propelled her pro boxing record to a perfect ten win from ten bouts.

Nevertheless, Potts said, “She was a good fighter when I took her in, but there were many elements of her fighting that needed correcting or enhancing. Her fundamentals needed to be brushed up on if she wanted to be a pro fighter.”

Potts helped Salandy train alongside former national boxers Ulrich Johnson, Kevin Placid, Kurt Sinnette and Shawn Corbin. He also sought nutritional advice from Dr Bal Ramsaran.

Potts also believed Salandy could achieve more if she went into a higher weight class. Gradually, she entered the super middleweight (154lbs) division.

In September 2006, she added two more titles to her tally as she defeated American Elizabeth Mooney by TKO and captured the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) world female super welter titles, at Skinner Park in San Fernando.

This was also a world record-breaking feat for Salandy, as she became the youngest boxer to claim both titles.

Potts added, “When I moved her from lightweight to a higher class, everyone thought I was mad. What they didn’t understand was the biology of the human anatomy and the growth processes of the human being.

“Everyone focused on Jizelle’s specifics to boxing only, and there was no studying of physiology, psychology and human anatomy. They didn’t go into that depth to work with the fighter. When I started working with her, she got to understand how serious pro boxing was.”

According to womenboxing.com, after the Mooney fight, a tearful Salandy thanked then Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Roger Boynes, Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs Joan Yuille-Williams and Director of Sport Paul Newallo for the opportunity to succeed.

Salandy was given funding through the women’s programme of Yuille-Williams’ ministry and the pair had a good relationship throughout her career.

Yuille-Williams told Newsday, “She was a very determined young woman, always wanted to succeed. She had a lot of Trinidad in her. It was a pleasure working with her. I went to as many (fights) as I could go. She was always well prepared.”

The former minister was also described as a mother figure to Salandy.

“I also heard people describe me as a mother to her. She could have done with the support,” she said.

At her next fight on December 9, 2006, Salandy shattered yet another world record by becoming the first boxer to win six belts in one fight. Against Miriam Brakche at the Jean Pierre Complex, the 19-year old won the WBA, WBC, WIBA, International Women’s Boxing Federation (IWBF), North American Boxing Council (NABC) and World Boxing Elite (WBE) super welter weight titles by a ten-round unanimous decision.

For her stellar year, Salandy was awarded Top History Making Fighter of the Year 2006 by Women Boxing Archive Network and was crowned First Citizens Sports Woman of the Year 2006 by First Citizens Sports Foundation.

Salandy’s success gained national recognition in 2007, when she was presented with the country’s second highest national award, the Chaconia Gold Medal.

Salandy’s six-title haul was broken in 2007 but in March 2008, she beat the previously undefeated Karolina Lukasik of Poland to claim eight titles. She retained her WBC, WBA, WBE, WIBA, IWBF, WIBF titles and also lifted the Global Boxing Union (GBU) and Ultimate Boxing Championship (UBC) belts.

“This fight was the biggest feat of her boxing career. No fighter is yet to achieve what she has in both the male and female divisions of the sport. Jizelle was a true warrior who knew what she wanted to achieve. She was a record-breaking athlete,” said Potts.

Her final fight against Hernandez will live in memory for her fans as she put on another top display to win by unanimous decision.

Ten, on January 4, 2009, Salandy died in an early morning accident on the Beetham Highway.

Reports said Salandy was driving west into Port of Spain a little before 7am when she crashed into a concrete pillar on reaching the National Petroleum overpass. Salandy was in the car with her best friend and national footballer Tamar Watson, who was also badly injured. They were taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital.

She died of massive head and internal injuries around 8.29 am and Watson broke both legs and her collarbone and had internal injuries. Watson’s injuries brought an end to her pro football career.

A former Pleasantville Secondary footballer, she played at the national under-20 level and attended Shorter College, Georgia. The pair became friends through a mutual friend Randy Hamilton.

Watson has never fully recovered. Her scars are a reminder of their memorable moments.

She said, “We had a friendship that was next to none. Her death impacted me in a very tense way. I feel like my physical and emotional healing has gotten better, but not easier. My scars and trauma I deal with now is a constant reminder. But I only have good memories.

“I’m still in the process of doing therapy and regaining full ability. My muscles do not function as they used to before. I also do weight and fitness training. I was no longer able to represent my country playing football to the level I would have liked, so I eventually retired from it.”

Although she was Salandy’s biggest fan, Watson cowered at seeing her best friend in physical battle, and went to just one of her 16 pro bouts – her last fight.

Ending the year on a high, Salandy was eyeing an early 2009 fight against American Angelica Martinez.

Watson said, “I am glad I only attended one fight. I cringed throughout the entire thing. She was on fire, though. After that fight, we started prepping for the next. A few days after her last fight was my birthday. We celebrated that at a meeting, yet she still made it special, focus-minded, I guess.”

After Salandy’s death, there were several conspiracy theories about the events leading up to her death.

Previous reports said Salandy, Watson and other friends had gone to a birthday celebration in St Joseph on January 3, left to drop a friend off in Piarco and then headed westward back to her camp in north Trinidad before they crashed.

Questions were raised as to why Salandy was driving the rented Toyota Yaris, when she was assigned a driver to take her to and from the event.

Yuille-Williams said, “I was really shocked. It was very early in the morning, if you remember, and I couldn’t understand why she was out there. It not only cut short her career, but such a promising young person...I’m still perturbed up to today. You just have to accept...”

Look out for part two in tomorrow's Newsday.